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September 19, 2011

Bonnets by Year: 1797

I was bitten by the bonnet bug earlier this year, and I can't seem to stop making them! I tend to get really bogged down in projects that take a few weeks (or longer!) to make, and they always end up being tedious and unpleasant by the time I finish them. I can whip out a bonnet in a couple of days, and it is a really fun way to experiment with colors and trim that I wouldn't normally use.

Since I started my fashion plate blog, I've been collecting fashion plates and have been paying particular attention to the bonnets. I found it tedious to scroll through my collection (and I was always distracted by the pretty dresses!) so I put together one-page collection of just bonnets from fashion plates. Here are all of the bonnets featured in the publication Journal des Dames et des Modes (also referred to as "Costume Parisien") from the year 1797.

Click on the image for a larger version, it will open in a new screen
then click on the link on the bottom left for the full-size image

I really love the bonnets from these early years. Since they were still a relatively new fashion accessory, women are experimenting pretty wildly with the styles and look of them. Look at all that variation! I have a hard time picking my favorite, but I think it is the yellow and black on on the bottom row. Which one do you like best?

I'll be featuring a new year every so often. The first few years are pretty sparse, but starting around 1800 there are many more plates and publications to draw from, so you'll see a lot more bonnets!